The Circumnavigator Diploma serves to recognize the significant achievements of pilots of powered aerodynes making around the world flights. The diploma is available with one to four diamonds as follows: Eastbound, Westbound, Polar (no holder yet), Nonstop (no holder yet).

FAI maintains chronological lists, based on the completion date of the flight, of all diploma holders of each diamond.

Diploma holders:

The FAI General Aviation Commission (GAC) has implemented the use of GNSS Flight Recorders to simplify methods of gathering and certifying flight data, and to use more objective methods for measuring flight performance data.

Currently approved GNSS loggers are compulsory in Air Rally and Precision Flying Competitions.

The Requirements are documented in Annex 4 to Section 2 of the Sporting Code. The document can be found here

A software to convert logger files from GPX format to GAC format can be found here

Application for approval of GNSS equipment must be made to Mr Ralf Grunwald, GNSS Technical Advisor .

The search function below allows you to find athletes who have competed at FAI events (World and Continental Championships, World Air Games) and all the information related to them such as results, awards, records, badges and other achievements.

Enter the name of the athlete you wish to find. You may enter as many letters of the name as you wish, however you must enter at least 3 letters.

Click the Search button.

Click on the "+" sign

If your search shows no results, check the spelling of the name entered in the search field.

All FAI General Aviation international championships, competitions and record activities are conducted under the direction of the FAI General Aviation Commission (GAC).

Meetings

The FAI General Aviation Commission meets once a year at an annual meeting to discuss and work on the development of sport parachuting, rules changes and sporting events (decision on venues for future events, appointment of organising committees, etc.).

Each FAI Member Country may appoint a Delegate with the right to vote at the Plenary Meeting.

Bureau

Between annual meetings, the FAI General Aviation Commission is run by the Bureau, which consists of the President, four Vice Presidents, the Treasurer and the Secretary.

The Bureau is elected during the annual meeting of the FAI General Aviation Commission.

Delegates

Each FAI Member Country can appoint a Delegate to the FAI General Aviation Commission and participate in the work of the commission.

Subcommittees

Subcommittees are set up by the FAI General Aviation Commission. They have specific terms of reference (TOR) for their work and responsibilities. These TOR are approved by the GAC Annual Meeting.

Working Groups

Working Groups are temporarily established by the FAI General Aviation Commission to study and report on specific matters or proposals.

Go to the Organisation page to get the list of all Bureau Members, Delegates, Subcommittees and Working Groups.

Awards

FAI Medals and Diplomas are awarded each year at the Opening Ceremony of the annual FAI General Conference.

The FAI Award for General Aviation is the following:

The Charles Lindbergh General Aviation Diploma

Records

The FAI maintains files of all aviation records and the FAI General Aviation Commission lays down the requirements for class conformity and flight verification where parachuting is concerned. The requirements are to be found in Section 5 of the Sporting Code.

Access the database and consult the current and past General Aviation World Records.

Rules & other documents

The FAI General Aviation Commission establishes and maintains rules and criteria for FAI General Aviation competitions and records, FAI badges, security at world sporting events, and technical standards.

Go to the Documents page to get the latest edition of those documents.

Although the aeroplane has existed for as long at the FAI itself, and although the first official FAI record was set on board a heavier-than-air machine (220 metres distance achieved by Santos-Dumont in 1906), the Federation did not officially have an International General Aviation Commission until 1965.

General aviation is obviously the broadest FAI discipline (along with aeromodelling); the categories of aircraft and records in the field of powered flight are legion. The first aspect under consideration is the type of craft: “classic”, hydroplane or amphibious. Then comes the type of engine: piston, turboprop, jet or rocket-powered. Finally come the many categories classed according to the weight of the aircraft.

The two World Wars were to signal an age of astounding progress in aviation, both in terms of techniques and areas of application.

The period following the First World War was to see the development of postal transport then passenger transport. Thereafter, from 1949, commercial aviation was to make its entrance into the age of the jet engine, which was soon to replace piston engines and to some extend turboprops. The next twenty years were to see the large-scale development of the network of passenger and freight transport.

On June 14-15 1919, Britons John Alcock and Arthur Brown succeeded in making the first nonstop Atlantic crossing (from Newfoundland to Ireland) in 15 hours and 57 minutes. Five years later, in September 1924, the first round-the-world trip with stopovers was completed in 175 days (44,345 km and 375 hours and 11 minutes of actual flight time) by US Air Force crews on board two Douglas World Cruisers.

Probably the most triumphant exploit in the history of aeronautics was achieved on May 20-21 1927, when American Charles Lindbergh, on board the legendary Spirit of Saint Louis, made the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight, from New York to Paris, in 33 hours and 30 minutes.

The 1930s saw the emergence of commercial aviation, which was soon to thrive. From 1939 to 1945, even more than in the 1914-1918 War, aviation was to be called upon to play a decisive role in global conflict.

Soon after the armistice, aeronautical performance began once again to bring down those symbolic barriers, such as the sound barrier in 1947.

FAI World Championships have been held annually since 1975 when the first Precision Flying Championship was held in Gävle-Sandvikens (Sweden) in August 1975.